Happy New Year! Planning a 9 day 50th Birthday trip thru the dessert in July. We plan on renting Harley’s from Eagle Rider in Vegas. We want to ride thru Nevada, Utah, Arizona and California. Any route recommendations and must ride/sites to see? We plan on camping for the most part so any campsite recommendations would also be much appreciated.
Hwy 12 in Utah. One of my favorite rides. I camped this year at Ruby's Inn at Bryce Canyon. It was nice and a good place to eat at the inn. The rodeo not so good. But it did not cost much.
Might want to check on average temperatures through the areas you want to ride, triple digit heat even at night is real. A tent can be a miserable **** at 95 F or 35C at 3 am.
For what it is worth I have multiple dessert trips planned. Few more gym trips would be a fine thing.
Ditch 9 days in July. HOT. If you do start in Vegas, July is about 105* average. April is about 80*. Elevation changes help, but still a warm trip.
As to places to see? From Vegas head east to Utah / Bryce / Moab, etc, drop down through Page / Lake Powell and the Grand Canyon, run down to river / Havasu along 40/66. From there, depends on time. West to San Diego or North back to Vegas with a stop at Hoover for the photo op. Google maps can help.
Dessert - Good !
Went there last year Jun 1 for 5 days. North Rim, Zion, Bryce, Durango were all in the mid-40s when we left out, but beautiful days. Just layered up. Mexican Hat was 90s. Moki Dugway was a hoot..
Happy 50 ! I think I have condoms that old...
The 4 corners areas are just Great places to ride ! Enjoy !
Get ready to sweat your bag off. I just did a ride through colorado, arizona, nevada back in september. Even then it was +35-40 celcius and you couldn't even cool off at 75mph. Wasn't horrible at speed, but in towns and Vegas it was. July heat will make 37 look cool I'm guessing.
Riding in northern Arizona wasn't great, but some of the sights were. Hoover Dam is cool, Grand Canyon was awesome and so were the Grand Canyon Caverns that are along old stretch of Route 66 heading north out of Kingman. Like mentioned 4 corners is cool to check out as well. Williams AZ is a cool little town worth staying at, you can also head further east and Stand on the Corner in Winslow Arizona & Take it Easy
I know you didn't mention going further east, but if its too hot where you planned to go, I'd suggest going up north from Durango in Colorado. Check out the million dollar highway, Ouray is a cool town to see. From there you could go north to grande Junction and over to moab. I love moab, been on several jeep trips there. Beautiful area. Or you could go NW out of vegas and hit bryce canyon then moab and come south from Grand Junction, and hit million dollar highway, four corners etc as you loop back around to Vegas.
A couple ideas for ya. Now to go find my dessert,,,mmmmm,
Nothing I like better than a “Burn Down Day” in the desert in the summertime. An old trick is to wear a long sleeve t-shirt that you soaked in a sink (wring it out) under a jacket that has zippers on the sides you can open. As the water evaporates it pulls the heat from your body and that will cool you. .... And Hydrate like hell.
Do your best to plan your camping above 4,000 ft. And find some shade for the morning sun. Or you will be up the moment the sun hits the tent ...... and DONT ride down the strip in Vegas if it is busy at night. No Sun heat, but you will sitting at green lights stopped and the engine heat will bake you.
Map this out ..... Vegas south on 95.... shoot over to Joshua Tree, then North through Mohave, Death Valley, East to Ely, East to 191 and south Through Flaming Gorge, Moab and Monument Valley.... head back to 191 and make your way to Petrefied Tree, then Stand on a Corner in Windslow, visit the Meteorite Crater, and west to Flagstaff..... stay in a Skidder motel on Route 66.... then the Grand Canyon (go in from the East end NOT the south entrance) back towards Vegas and run Route 66. That should be easily doable in 9 days.
01-01-2019, 01:49 PM
Dessert Trip in July
